Life & Work with Issy Marina Barsallo of Topanga

Today we’d like to introduce you to Issy Marina Barsallo.

Hi Issy Marina, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
At some point in my twenties, I realized that I was meant to be a visual artist, and I began exploring painting as a way to express myself. I was living in Topanga at the time when I decided I needed a more formal art education. That decision took me back to Peru, where I enrolled at the National School of Fine Arts (Escuela Nacional Superior Autónoma de Bellas Artes del Perú).

I spent a decade in Lima, an experience that profoundly shaped my artistic journey. Although I initially focused on painting, my practice gradually expanded into interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary art. I began experimenting with sculpture, readymades, animation, printmaking, and installation, discovering new ways to explore ideas and communicate through different mediums.

During my time in Peru, I held five solo exhibitions, including shows at museums, and participated in numerous group exhibitions. It was an intense and formative period that allowed me to develop my artistic language and explore different creative directions.

However, I also came to realize that the Peruvian art scene was relatively small and heavily male-dominated, which made it challenging to find opportunities and establish a sustainable career as an artist. Eventually, I decided to return to the United States, where I had previously lived and worked as a wigmaker in Hollywood in the early 2000s.

Since returning to Los Angeles, I’ve continued developing my artistic practice, participating in exhibitions within the Topanga community, including shows at Artists Matter Gallery. I’ve also ventured further into animation, creating and releasing original animated works featuring animal characters on my YouTube channel, where I explore themes of irony and animal rights.

Today, I continue to explore the intersection of art, storytelling, and social commentary. Ironically, after years of experimenting with so many different mediums and artistic disciplines, I’ve come full circle and find myself returning to painting, where my journey first began.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road at all. Having a career in the arts can be a rather unpredictable journey. Some people connect with your work, others don’t, and there is often a lot of ego and competition involved. In my experience, particularly within the South American art scene, the art world can be very much about cliques, personal connections, and knowing the right people. Even when you manage to establish those connections, there are no guarantees.

At one point, I was selling my work quite well, but I realized that the agents and the galleries were taking such a large percentage of the sales that it no longer felt worthwhile. It made me question the business side of being an artist and whether the traditional gallery system was really the right path for me.

Later, when I started exploring animation, I felt I had finally found something that could become my path forward. I was incredibly excited when the first episode of my animated series, Lola Makes the News, was picked up by UnchainedTV, a wonderful vegan network. I thought this could be the beginning of something bigger. I think that’s one of the hardest things about being an artist: you put so much of yourself into your work, and sometimes the outcome is completely out of your hands. It can be a risky business, and yes, your heart can get broken along the way.

But at the same time, creating is food for the soul. It keeps me curious, inspired, and happy. Over the years, I’ve learned not to depend so much on external validation or wait for someone else to give me permission to create. I’ve become more comfortable following my own instincts and finding fulfillment in the process itself. Ultimately, I’ve learned that being a creative soul is not just what I do, it’s an essential part of who I am.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My most recent project is a three part animated series called Lola Makes the News, which I have released on YouTube. Throughout my career, I’ve been given different labels: the artist of fruits and vegetables, an environmental artist, and a vegan artist. I think all of these describe different aspects of my work, but what connects them is a fascination with the richness and abundance of the natural world and our relationship with it.

Whether I’m painting fruits and vegetables, creating sculptures, working with animals, or producing animation, my work is ultimately about reconnecting people with nature and reminding us of the importance of caring for the planet we inhabit.

Another fundamental aspect of my artistic practice is what I call the language of correspondences: the study of relationships and connections throughout the universe. I’m fascinated by how certain geometric structures, patterns, and forms repeat themselves across nature, from microscopic organisms to plants, animals, and even cosmic structures. I believe these recurring patterns communicate something about the interconnectedness of life. There are fascinating parallels between these observations and contemporary scientific discoveries, and I enjoy exploring these ideas through my artwork.

This language of correspondences has been present in both my earlier and more recent work, and I’m currently returning to it in a new body of work that brings many of these interests together.

What I’m most proud of is having developed an artistic language that allows me to move freely between disciplines while maintaining a consistent vision. I don’t like to confine myself to one medium, technique, or category. I’m interested in experimenting, discovering connections, and finding new ways to communicate ideas. Ultimately, I want my work to inspire curiosity, encourage a deeper appreciation of the natural world, and remind us that we are not separate from nature, but very much a part of it.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I think one of the most important lessons I’m learning is to keep things simple. For a long time, I felt the need to communicate too many ideas and address too many different points of discourse within a single artwork. I wanted to explore complex subjects and sometimes ended up overcomplicating both the concepts and the work itself.

Over time, I’ve realized that art doesn’t always need to explain, educate, or make a statement. Sometimes people simply want to experience something beautiful, unexpected, or inspiring. Art can be a place to pause, escape the noise of everyday life, and find a little relief.

I’m learning to embrace simplicity, not only in the ideas behind my work but also in the final pieces themselves. I think there’s a certain beauty and sophistication in being able to communicate something meaningful without having to overcomplicate it. Sometimes less really does say more.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/issybarsallo/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@issybarsallo